I approve this message

As it seems to be en vogue for respectable publications and online media sources to include an editorial article endorsing their favorite candidate - or sometimes one from each party for the primary elections - I am here to do the same. Far be it from me to presume that my meager little space even vaguely resembles anything respectable, but at the very least I do not have to worry about an editorial board coming together and agreeing on a nominee to endorse.

Among the Democrats, my choice is fairly simple: Barack Obama. When word started to circulate about a possible Obama candidacy, I was intrigued. The notion of fresh blood entering the race is something that always catches my attention. Much of the fuel that has been running his campaign thus far has been the promise of a change from the status quo. Furthermore, Obama seems to have a genuine interest in contributing to the well-being of America. No, I am not about to fall for the notion that personal gain is not part of the equation - he is a politician, after all. However, of the Democratic candidates, he seems to be the most honest and genuine.

On social issues, I feel that Obama gets things largely right. On more economic issues I find I disagree with him in many places, but compared to the rest of the field Obama strikes me as refreshingly moderate. Perhaps the biggest concern I have with him as a candidate is his lack of credentials - it is difficult to accurately gauge a candidate upon promise alone. However, I feel that compared to his competition, the promise that he holds outweighs the risk in his lack of experience.

As for the other candidates, John Edwards strikes me as hypocritical and a consummate panderer. He tries to play the part of a down to earth populist, decrying the evils of the big corporations and pretend to be the champion of the middle class. His luxurious lifestyle calls in to question just how in tune he is with the middle class, however, and it feels dishonest. Hillary Clinton, too, seems to be good at pandering and putting on a show. Well-timed tears have earned her votes but to me felt hollow. Her "carpetbagger" run for her Senate seat felt more like a desire to groom herself for a presidential bid, and her participation in this race seems to reinforce the idea. She seems more interested in being President for her own personal agenda rather than any real desire to serve.

Among Republicans I would endorse John McCain. The biggest thing he has going for him in my book is the disdain of the GOP establishment - the more I hear hardcore conservatives try to denigrate him with invectives such as RINO, the more I like the man. He seems less interested in pandering to the party and more in speaking his mind. His opposition to unfunded tax cuts and support for some method of legalizing illegal immigrants, while inevitably infuriating fellow Republicans, lines up neatly with many of my own views.

I am somewhat leery of his hawkish stance on the war, and that he supported going there in the first place gives me pause. I must admit that, since we are already there, I feel he is better equipped to handle the situation than his challengers. I am also not hot on his typically conservative stances regarding social issues, but he is no worse than the rest of the right - but his opposition to conservative efforts such as a constitutional ban of gay marriage and his desire to abdicate many social issues to the state level is a refreshing break from the GOP standard.

As for the others? Mitt Romney has a lot of credentials as a successful businessman, which means a lot in an ailing economy, but I do not feel he has all the answers. His overly conservative stance on social issues as well as his chameleonic ability to morph into whatever form caters most to any given bloc of voters is disturbing. Rudy Giuliani is a bit on the moderate side and has that going for him in my book, but he seems to have some honesty issues going on. Furthermore, I'd lump him in with Hillary Clinton as the sort who is more interested in putting a bigger notch on the resume rather than wanting to make changes for the good. And as for Mike Huckabee? His statement that the Constitution needs to be brought more in line with God's teachings is far and away enough to put him at the very bottom of my list of preferred candidates.

In the end, my interest in the primary campaign is a bit futile. As a registered independent I am not allowed to vote in either primary in my state's upcoming closed elections. I have to admit to feeling somewhat disenfranchised, but more than that, disappointed that there are not better third-party options to consider. I paraphrase the late Dr. Martin Luther King, one of our country's greatest visionaries : I have a dream that one day voters of this nation will judge our candidates not by the color of their party but by the content of their character.